PATTAYA – Police Lt. Col. Raleuk Intawatsami has reported the arrest of a major Russian mafia figure who’s wanted in Russia and 13 other foreigners connected to his mafia empire in Pattaya in the past month.

Lt. Col. Raleuk said they arrested Russian Aleksandr Danilov, 43, who is accused of being a top figure in Russian organized crime in Pattaya.

Danilov is wanted in Russia and fled prosecution for drug trafficking in Phuket in 2012.

Aleksandr Danilov was arrested along with 13 foreigners police suspect are his underlings and a repeat drug trafficking offender. Three of the suspects were identified as fugitives by the Russian Embassy, which sought their arrest.

Danilov has allegedly run a criminal enterprise in Pattaya, operating tourism venues such as restaurants, strip clubs and car rental businesses. Lt. Col. Raleuk said he also brings drugs into Thailand, along with Eastern European women for prostitution.

Another of the Russian suspects, 45-year-old Mikhail Kriventcov, was wanted on an international warrant for heroin trafficking.

The remaining suspects were “wanted for various crimes such as working illegally, overstaying their visas and acting as a menace to Thai society.

In February police arrested 37-year-old suspected drug trafficker Sergei Mareev, who lived a “playboy life” in Thailand having sex with scores of Thai women despite being infected with HIV.

Mareev has already been deported to Russia, Lt. Col. Raleuk said

Pattaya is a seaside resort town known for its high concentration of commercial sex workers and sex tourists.